Reassignment
by Beka Alcott
Summary: After the Atlantis episode 'Search and Rescue', Sam Carter must deal with her reassignment.
1. Replaced

**Reassignment**

_**A/N:** Just saw the first episode of season 5 of Atlantis, and this was BEGGING to be written! I wasn't quite sure whether this should be posted in the SGA or SG-1 section of fanfiction, since it's technically a tag to an SGA episode, but only uses SG-1 characters, so if you're confused by its location, sorry! PLEASE review! It makes me so happy!  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I don't these characters (sob!) or any aspect of the Stargate franchise. I only play with them for my own amusement. :-P_

_**Summary:** What happens to Sam after the end of SG-Atlantis episode, Search and Rescue?_

* * *

..._ the IOA has decided that perhaps someone with a different 'skill set' would be more suited to lead the Atlantis expedition ...  
_

The words resounded in Sam's head as she rode the elevator down to the women's locker room in the SGC.

_Effective immediately …_

She walked blindly out of the elevator and down the hall.

…_removed from command …_

She pushed open the door angrily, dropping her bags and pacing up and down the small room. Woolsey's voice wouldn't let up, she couldn't get the words to stop ringing in her ears. There'd been no warning. Not even that 'exhaustive review' she'd been expecting. Just a formal notification from that little toad Woolsey before she'd even been on the planet 60 seconds.

"Dammit!" She yelled, kicking the nearest locker like it had caused her personal offence. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and sank down onto a bench.

There was a tentative knock on the door.

"Sam?"

Sam leapt up and threw the door open. "Jack!"

Jack smiled and pulled his wife into his arms. "Hey you. Missed ya."

"I missed you too." Sam said sincerely, burying her face in his neck. "So much." She closed her eyes and breathed in the calming scent of him, and for a moment forgetting that she'd just lost command of the Atlantis expedition.

"Listen, Sam, I got some bad news." Jack said eventually, his voice muffled as he spoke down into her shoulder.

"Me too." Sam said, trying very hard not to cry. It was always so hard to keep the military barriers up when she was around him, the ones that if anyone else had come in would stop her from crying over this.

Jack pulled back, to look into Sam's eyes. "You first." He said, worried that he might have to deliver the news of her reassignment on top of some other trauma.

"I've been removed from command." She whispered. Jack closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"They told you already, huh?"

"Woolsey met me as I was walking down the ramp." She told him.

"Oh for crying out loud, that slimy little – I told him to wait till I was there!" Jack exclaimed angrily. "He couldn't wait _ten minutes _for my helicopter to land!"

"You came straight from Washington?"

"As soon as I heard that the IOA had gone ahead and made a decision without _any_ consultation with my office." Jack let the door shut behind him and paced around just as Sam had done.

"Can they do that?"

"It's a political mess." Jack practically spat. "China and Russia are _expressing concerns_ about the exclusively American military presence, and they've managed to convince France and Germany to join the crusade. They were threatening to withdraw funding from the SGC if we didn't take steps to de-militarize Atlantis."

Sam's eyes widened in shock. "Completely? They can't do that! Atlantis is still at risk of attack from –"

"I know." Jack interrupted. "That's what we were supposed to be talking about in the review. I thought if we could get to talking about how many military decisions you've had to make, they'd realize that not only are you a fantastic commander, but a military presence is essential, and only _we_ have the experience, manpower, and resources to do it properly."

His wife smiled thinly. "Guess they didn't want the debate."

"Yeah." Jack sighed. "I'm sorry it went down this way. You deserve better." He added.

Sam looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers.

"What?" Jack asked, more than familiar enough with her body-language to know something was on her mind.

"It's nothing."

"Sam."

"It's just … Woolsey said that they wanted someone with a different _skill set_."

Jack swore. "Oh he did not. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kick his ass so hard he won't –"

"Jack," Sam cut him off before he could really get going. "Just tell me: has there been talk about me being … _ill-suited_ for command?"

"No. Absolutely not. Is that what he said?"

"It was implied. He said someone with different skills would be _more suited_ for the position."

"That son of a bitch." Jack looked critically at Sam. "You okay?"

Sam looked at her hands again, not wanting to admit it to his face. "Not really."

He couldn't help it, Jack's heart just melted. "C'mere." He said, and Sam gratefully leaned into his embrace again.

"Hey, at least we're not living galaxies apart anymore." She said quietly, trying to put a lighter spin on the situation.

Jack hugged her tighter. "Yeah, there's that. You didn't deserve for it to happen this way, though."

Sam smiled slightly, feeling better now she was wrapped in her husband's arms. "Thanks for being here."

"Hey, I wouldn't miss a chance to see you. You know that."

Pulling away again, Sam scowled at her still packed bags. "I guess I'd better go and check in with General Landry."

"Okay. I'm gonna go and track down Woolsey."

"Don't beat him up." Sam warned him.

Jack's face was the picture of innocence. "Who, me?"

She grinned at him. "Meet you in Daniel's office afterwards?"

"You betcha." Jack replied, kissing her forehead. His eyes took on a more serious expression then, and they both had to work hard on not kissing each other properly. They were still on base, after all. Instead, they shared a soft smile, and Sam hefted her bag of clothes into her rarely-used locker, before following Jack out.

* * *

_So, whaddaya think? Chapter 2 coming soon!_

_Beka_


	2. Reassigned

**_Reassignment - part 2_**

_I know, a painfully short chapter, but time is short and I thought you'd prefer shorter chapters quickly rather than longer ones with perhaps week long gaps in between like 'Found'. And fear not! The Jack/Woolsey chapter is coming! It'll probably be chapter 4._

* * *

Sam almost collided with Walter as she headed up to Hank Landry's office.

"Colonel Carter! Welcome back!" The chief exclaimed, knocking on the general's door for her.

"Thank you Walter. How are you?" Sam replied with a smile.

"Fine thank –"

"Enter!" Landry's bellow from inside his office interrupted Walter mid sentence. Walter smiled instead and opened the door for Sam, following her inside and dumping a sizeable heap of folders on Landry's desk.

"Thank you Walter. Colonel! It's good to see you." Landry waved a hand to indicate that she should sit.

"It's good to see you too sir."

"I only wish it could be under better circumstances." Landry said with a significant look. "I assume you've seen Jack by now?"

"Yes sir, although actually it was Woolsey who delivered the news. He was waiting for me in the Gateroom."

"He doesn't beat about the bush, does he?" Landry said with a grim smile.

"No sir." Sam smiled back.

"So, I suppose we should discuss your reassignment. Or have you already done that with General O'Neill?"

"No sir."

"Alright. Well, I expect SG-1 would be more than happy to have you back. Other than that there's R&D at Area 51, or a full-time post in the science department here."

Sam nodded, mulling it all over.

"There's something else." Landry said after a few minutes. Sam looked up, surprised. "In a few months, the new Daedalus class vessel will come out of the pipeline. The Phoenix. And she needs a commander."

Sam's eyes widened. "Me?"

"There are currently three Colonels on the shortlist. You're one of them."

"I – I don't know what to say." Sam said.

"Think it over. We'll have made a decision by the end of the month, but if you want the position, I expect you'll get it."

"I – thank you sir."

Hank smiled. "You earned it, Sam. Now, SG-1 will brief you about the Ba'al situation, and then I expect you'll want to head back to Atlantis for a few days. Woolsey might appreciate some help with the transition, and no doubt there are people you'll want to say goodbye to."

"Yes sir." Sam nodded, looking down briefly. "If it's alright sir, I'd like to –"

"Go." Landry cut her off, waving his hand at the door.

"And Colonel?" He called after her as she reached the doorway to the briefing room. She stopped and looked back at him. "Welcome back."

"Thank you sir." She smiled, and left.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! And please please please review!_

_Beka_


	3. Reintegrated

_**Reassignment - part 3**_

_Hey guys - just saw Atlantis S5 episode 2: 'The seed'. I hate Woolsey slightly less now, as he's learning that the rules are not God. Still hate the IOA for replacing Sam though, and Woolsey is far from house trained - he still needs a LOT of breaking in by the SGA boys. And girls. Teyla and Jennifer are awesome._

* * *

"Daniel?" Sam called as she rounded the corner to his office. It was empty. "Huh."

She looked at her watch, and realized her mistake, turning on her heel and walking back the way she'd come. She almost collided with Jack in the hallway.

"Hey!" He greeted her. "Daniel not home?"

"It's 10:30 on a Tuesday." She responded with a grin. "They're playing basketball."

* * *

Sam had not even got through the doorway to the sport hall before she was almost knocked off her feet by a 5'8 raven haired alien emitting a high pitched squeal.

"Hi Vala." Sam said, returning the hug with a grin.

"Sam! When did you get in?" Cameron Mitchell asked with a huge smile, as the three men of SG-1 broke off their match to swamp the astrophysicist in hugs.

"About forty five minutes ago."

"She even beat _me_ here." Jack said, ambling in after his wife and succeeding in drawing the group's attention away from her for a moment.

"Hi Jack." Daniel said with only a little surprise. He supposed it only made sense for Jack to be here as Sam got back to Earth for the first time in over two months.

"Daniel. Teal'c. Kids." Jack nodded at the four, Vala looking slightly affronted at being referred to as a kid.

"I'm gonna have another crack at finding Woolsey." Jack said. "But I want her back at 1700 hours." He added, looking pointedly at Teal'c, knowing he'd make sure she was ready to leave on time, before leaving Sam with her old team.

Daniel frowned at Sam. "Woolsey?"

"Yeah. I guess you haven't heard."

"Heard what?" Cam asked.

Sam took a deep breath. "I've been removed from command. The IOA are replacing me with Woolsey. He told me in as I got back in the Gateroom."

For a moment no one said anything, shock wiping out the team's speech.

"What?" Cameron blurted out eventually.

"Why?" Vala added.

"Politics." Daniel said angrily. "That's it, isn't it? They want complete control of Atlantis, and what better way to do that than to put one of their own in command."

"It will be a great loss for the Atlantis expedition." Teal'c said gravely. Sam smiled at him.

"Thanks, Teal'c."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know." Sam answered honestly.

"You know, we'd love to have you back on SG-1." Cameron said.

"It's not the same without you." Vala said. "Too much testosterone, too little brains."

Sam shared an amused grin with her while Daniel and Cam glared at the alien woman.

"That's certainly an option I'm considering." She told them.

"Have you been made an alternative offer?" Teal'c asked.

Sam hesitated before telling them. "Commander of the Phoenix."

Cam's eyes widened. "Really? Wow, Sam …"

"That's great! Are you going to take it?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know yet. It's very tempting, but … I don't know, I think I might like to stay on Earth now. For a while, at least."

"Missing the hubby?" Vala asked sympathetically.

Sam smiled and ducked her head, giving away the truth behind Vala's guess. The truth was, since Sam and Jack had been married, they'd never had gone more than two weeks together without Sam's job pulling her away from Earth, be that in her duties with SG-1 or her stint as commander of Atlantis.

"I must admit, it'll be nice to only need to use a telephone rather than a Stargate to talk to him." She said with a coy smile.

"He's really missed you, you know?" Daniel said, nudging her playfully.

"I know."

"So, how about we get showered and changed and then the five of us go do some proper catching up?" Mitchell suggested.

"I'd like that." Sam said. "I'll go pop my head round Bill Lee's door while I wait."

"Okay." They all started moving towards the door.

Cameron, walking on her right, hooked an arm round her shoulders again. "It's good to have you back, Sam. We all missed you."

Sam smiled at them all. She had missed them too. Maybe her reassignment, while disappointing, would be made easier for being with her oldest friends once more.

* * *

_PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE review! You get an imaginary cookie if you do!  
_

_Beka_


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